Spray device and nozzle therefor



Sept. 20, 1938. w. B. KERRICK SPRAY DEVICE AND NOZZLE THEREFOR OriginalFiled July 30, 1934 l/v v/v TOR WA L TER B. KERR/CK A rromvzx PatentedSept. 20, 1938 UNITED; STATES 2,130,628 SPRAY DEVICE AND NOZZLE THEREFORWalter B. Kerriek, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Clayton Manufacturing Company, Alhambra,Calif., a corporation of California Application July 30, 1934, SerialNo. 737,587 Renewed September 14, 1937 Y i 10 Claims.

My invention relates in general to means for spraying hot liquids, andrelates in particular to means for spraying a hot detergent liquidagainst a surface which is to be cleaned. My

present invention is an improvement on or addition to the inventiondisclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 495,636, entitledFluid heater, filed November 14, 1930. The invention is of especialutility as a means for cleaning surfaces by the application of adetergent solution thereto, which detergent may consist of a 'mixture ofsoap and water heated to a temperature above the boiling point of waterand released through a nozzle to form a cleaning jet. I find thatsurfaces, such as the walls of buildings, etc., can be very quickly andcheaply cleaned by the use of a stream of detergent solution in thiscondition, and it is thought that the improved results are largely dueto finer comminution and diffusion of the soap particles in the liquidand due to the enhanced cleaning action of the detergent solution owingto its high temperature and to the fact that it is applied pressurallyagainst the surface to be cleaned.

As the direct result-of heating the detergent solution above the boilingpoint of water, the operation of my invention in its original form wasaccompanied by more or less difii'culty due to the tendency for steam toseparate in relatively large quantities in the atmosphere adjacent thedischarge orifice of the ordinary type of spray nozzle employed, theclouds of suchsteam interfering with the operator's view of the surfacebeing treated and causing a sputtering action of the steam adjacent thepoint of issue of the flow from the nozzle.

In my present invention I accomplish an improved cleaning result by thedelivery of a more condensed stream of hot detergent fluid against thesurface to be cleaned, and my present invention facilitates theoperation of the device by reason of the fact that the spreading ofsteam is minimized and the popping or sputtering sound originallyproduced in the operation of the de- 5 vice iseliminated.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning device of theabove character which includes means for delivering the hot detergentfluid through an opening defined by walls of such 7 50 character that ahollow stream of detergent fluid is delivered and a vacuum area isformed within the hollow stream which is believed to be instrumental ineliminating the popping of the discharge flow and in condensing orconforming the i discharge flow to a stream of relatively small diameterand likewise .of materially increased force even though the watercontent of the detergent fluid is heated to a temperature at which steamwill readily form.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method forpreventing excessive spreading of a jet by discharging a tubular streamand reducing the pressure therein in a manner tending to bring thestream together and prevent excessive spreading to form a moreconcentrated 10 jet, particularly when the discharged stream containsvaporized and unvaporized materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a discharge nozzle whichmay be readily applied to those of my original form of cleaner 1 now inuse, which nozzle will obtain in use with such cleaners the valuableresults set forth in the preceding paragraph.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be made evidentthroughout the follow- 20 ing part of the specification.

Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a cleaner embodying my presentinvention.

Fig; 2 is an enlarged sectional viewof the preferred form of nozzleemployed in the practice plication of the mild soap mixture make it pos-40 I sible to remove accumulations of grease and dirt which can beremoved only with great difficulty and considerable labor by strong soapand caustic solutions applied in the ordinary manner. Accordingly, themixture in the tank ll may be made from ordinary household bar soap orsoap chips in the proportions of nine ounces of soap to approximatelythirty gallons of water. From the container II the detergent solution isconducted by a pump 12 through delivery means in the form of piping l3intoand through a heater 14 wherein the detergent solution is suitablyheated. I find that satisfactory cleaning results may be accomplishedwhere the solution is heated to nearly 300 F. The heater l4 delivers theheated solution into a conduit l5 which may consist of a hose I6 and astraight tube or pipe ll which may be readily handled by an operator. Tothe outer end of the pipe I! a nozzle I8 is secured which is so formedthat despite the high temperature of the aqueous content of thesolution, a relatively narrow stream or jet 20 will be delivered.Ordinarily, there is a tendency for the hot fluid to abruptly expand asit leaves an ordinary type of discharge nozzle, the ordinary spreadingof the jet being substantially as .indicated by dotted lines 2|. Theexpanded jet previously obtained was accompanied by a rapid loss of theforce of the fluid upon its leaving the nozzle so as to make itnecessary to hold the nozzle very close to the work if any reasonableforcev of application was to be obtained. The

condensed jet or discharge stream 20 now obtained carries the heateddetergent solution with considerable force and through a relativelygreat distance.

The nozzle disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a tubular wall or member22 which is preferably curved as shown so as to produce inlet anddischarge end portions 23 and 24 on axes AA and B-B which are disposedin angular relationship in order that a solid cylindrical or bar-likecore 25 which extends within the discharge end 24 may be supported in asocket or opening 26 formed in the side wall 21 of the inlet end portion23. The opening 26 is drilled through the wall 21 on the axis B-B, andthe core 25 is held therein by the use of a welded body of metal 26awhich fills the outer end of the opening 26. The discharge end 24includes a removable bushing 28 through which the actual dischargeopening 30 of the discharge nozzle 18 is formed. The wall of the outletend portion 2a preferably tapers toward the opening 3|] in the mannershown. The rightward or forward end 3| of the core 25 extends within theopening it of the bushing 28 and forms in such opening 3!] an annular ortubular orifice 32. The core 25 is foreshortened with respect to theextreme outer end of the opening 30 so that a substantially flat endface 33 of such core 25 is disposed within the opening, or, in otherwords, in retracted position relative to the tip 34 of the bushing 28which constitutes the extremity of the discharge end of the nozzle 24,and may be replaced by other bushings of similar form but with openings30 of different size so as to vary the nozzle capacity. The detergentsolution is heated to relatively high temperature, and passes from thepipe I! into the tubular passage 35 within the tubular wall 22 andsurrounding the core 25. When the flow of detergent solution issues athigh velocity from the annular orifice 32, a conical vacuum space 35 isapparently formed adjacent the end face 33 of the core 25, with theresult that the stream or jet 20 of fluid is contracted for a shortdistance beyond the end of the nozzle, as indicated at 31, and thenexpands, as indicated at 38. A resulting relatively slender jet 2!! ofthe detergent solution is formed, and the force thereof is concentratedin such a manner that such jet will carry a considerable distance.Likewise, the popping of the jet is overcome, and a quiet action of thenozzle is produced, together with the effect of minimizing the formationof steam around the discharge of the nozzle. Accordingly, the operatorobtains a satisfactory view of the surface which is being cleaned, anddisturbance of persons in thevicinity isavoided by reason of theelimination of the popping or sputtering sound which ordinarilyaccompanies the discharge of water and steam, or water heated tovaporizing temperature, from the orifice.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in simple andpractical form, it is recognized that certain parts or elements thereofare representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may beused in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially thesame results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention isnot to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is tobe accordedthe full'scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of forming a jet containing vaporized and unvaporizedmaterial and for preventing excessive spreading of the resulting jetwhen moving in a discharge zone, which method includes the steps ofdelivering under pressure to a tubular confined space a streamcontaining both vaporized and unvaporized material; restricting thecross-sectional area of this tubular stream before discharge into saiddischarge zone and then discharging the restricted stream in tubularforminto said discharge zonef and reducing the pressure within thedischarged tubular stream in a manner tending to draw the streamtogether thus preventing excessive spreading and forming a concentratedjet.

2. A method of forming a concentrated jet and eliminating poppingandsputtering thereof,

which method includes the steps of producing a tubular stream containingwater at a temperature above the boiling point of water at the pressureexisting in the discharge zone in which said jet is to be projected;restricting the crosssectional area of this tubular stream by forming itinto a tubular stream of smaller cross-sectional area before dischargingit into said zone and then discharging the restricted stream into saidzone in tubular form; and expanding the steam in the resulting streaminward with respect to the tubularly-discharged stream at the point ofdischarge into said zone to draw the tubular stream together to form aconcentrated jet.

3. A method of forming a concentrated jet and discharging same into adischarge zone while eliminating popping and sputtering, which methodinvolves the use of a member providing a rela tively blunt end surfaceand includes the steps of: confining around said member at a pressurehigher than that in said discharge zone an enveloping stream containingsteam; constricting this enveloping stream before discharge into saidzone by causing it to flow through a restricted discharge orificeadjacent the forward end of said member while -maintaining itsenveloping relationship with this member; and projecting the envelopingstream past and beyond said relatively blunt end surface whereby theenveloping stream discharges into said zone in tubular form and wherebythe steam tends to expand into the void immediately in front of saidrelatively blunt end surface to create a zone of reduced pressure actingto draw said tubular stream together.

4. In combination in a nozzle for producing a concentrated jet: atubular member providing a discharge opening at one end, an intakeopening spaced therefrom, and a passage therebetween, said passage andsaid discharge opening being coaxial; a core disposed in said tubularmember and extending axially along said passage to define an annularspace and extending into said discharge opening to define an annulardischarge orifice, the cross-sectional area of said discharge orificebeing less than the cross-sectional area of said annular space to form aconstriction through which fluid must flow in discharging from saidannular space, the forward end of said core providing a relatively bluntend surface; means for rigidly securing said core to said tubular memberin such position that said relatively blunt end surface terminates atsuch a point as to project no farther than the forward end of saiddischarge opening whereby the stream of fluid sweeps past saidrelatively blunt end surface as it flows through the constriction formedby said annular discharge orifice thereby creating a zone of reducedpressure immediately in front of said relatively blunt end surface whichtends to draw the annularly-discharged stream together.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4 in which said relatively bluntend surface is disposed within said discharge opening to the rear of theforward end of this opening.

6. A combination as defined in claim 4 including a bushing detachablyconnected to said tubular member and providing said discharge openinginto which said core extends to form said annular discharge orifice ofreduced cross-sectional area.

'7. A nozzle of the character described including: a tubular memberhaving one end disposed to receivea fluid and the other end forming adischarge opening, said tubular member providing a tapered passagetherebetween of progressively decreasing cross-sectional area towardsaid discharge opening; and a core extending axially in said taperedpassage and into said discharge opening and being of substantiallyuniform crosssectional area throughout that section lying in saidtapered passage and in said discharge opening and cooperating with saiddischarge opening in defining a tubular orifice through which the fluidmoves and from which the stream discharges into the space therebeyond,said core providing a relatively blunt end surface disposed just insidethe forward end of said discharge opening whereby the resulting tubularstream creates a zone of reduced pressure immediately in front of saidrelatively blunt end surface tending to draw the tubularly-dischargedstream together.

8. In combination in a nozzle for producing a concentrated jet: a curvedtubular member providing a discharge opening at one end and an intakeopening at the other end,'the axes of said intake and discharge openingsbeing angularly disposed relative to the other, said tubular memberproviding a passage connecting said intake and discharge openings andproviding a side wall disposed at an angle with respect to the axis ofsaid intake opening whereby a stream entering said intake opening isdeflected by said side wall into a direction along the axis of saiddischarge opening, said side wall providing an opening therein; a coreextending into said opening of said side wall and along said passage ina direction coaxial with the axis of said discharge opening, said coreproviding a forward portion which is at least as large as that portionof said core extending in said passage and which forward portion extendsaxially into said discharge opening to define an annular dischargeorifice, the cross-sectional area of 'said discharge orifice being lessthan the cross-sectional area of said intake opening, the forwardportion of said core providing a relatively blunt end surface; and meansfor rigidly mounting said core in said opening of said side wall in suchposition that said relatively blunt forward end surface of said coreterminates inside and slightly back of the forward end of said dischargeopening.

9. A method of forming a concentrated jet in a discharge zone, whichmethod includes the steps of: producing a confined forward-movingtubular stream containing a liquid which is at a pressure higher thanthat in said discharge zone and which is at such a temperature thatvapors will flash therefrom when introduced into said discharge zone;preventing sidewise expansion of said stream until it reaches saiddischarge zone, thereby permitting flashing of vapors from said liquidwhen the stream reaches the lower pressure of said discharge zone; andexpanding the steam inward within said tubular stream to draw ittogether as it moves in said discharge zone to form a concentrated jet.

10. A method of forming a concentrated jet and discharging same into adischarge zone, which method involves the use of a member providing arelatively blunt end surface and includes the steps of: confining aroundsaid member to flow therealong a stream containing a liquid which is ata pressure higher than the pressure in said discharge zone and at such atemperature that vapors will flash therefrom when introduced into saiddischarge zone; preventing any substantial sidewise expansion of thestream until it reaches a point adjacent said relatively blunt endsurface thereby permitting flashing of vapors when the stream dischargesinto said discharge zone; and expanding the vapors in said stream intothe zone in front of said relatively blunt end surface to draw thedischarged stream together and form a concentrated jet.

WALTER B. KERRICK.

